Center of the Field
by yukaraii
Summary: She never prided herself in stealing another person's body nor emptying her stomach on an attractive blonde. Oh, well. OC insert.
**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. But a girl can dream.**

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Chapter 1: of the demons in your soul

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It was the distant sobbing of a woman and the soft pit-patting of water on wood that she awoke to. Her eyes were bleary and when she attempted to open them, they stung and watered even at the dim lighting of the room. She felt feverish. The air she gasped down was much too dry and burned down her chest.

She let out a choking cough when it felt as if her lungs were set aflame. The pain torn through her organ and she was left gasping on the cold, wooden floor.

Besides her, she heard the faint sobs halt before there was a chorus of terrified screams and a body threw itself on her figure. If she wasn't so preoccupied with the burning on her chest, she would've paid more attention to the heavy weight on her, the arms wrapping around her body in the form of an embrace, and the screeching voice of a woman screaming for a doctor.

She gave one last, feeble cough before darkness sank in again, relieving her of the torture.

oOo

 _Demon's child, demon's child._

Those words were chanted throughout the town. Every member in the village had heard the revival of the youngest daughter of the Nakahara family. The girl drowned in the family's pond and was already cold as stone when they fished her corpse out of the depths. She was confirmed dead: she wasn't breathing and her heart was still. Yet, the girl sprung back to life moments later.

 _It was the works of the devil_ , the villagers whispered behind closed doors. _The child is the devil himself._

oOo

In her past life– she had finally accepted that she died, so yes, in her past life– she had been the bodyguard of the youngest son of a wealthy couple. She remembered how she always guarded over the boy in a mansion with pale walls and red curtains, hiding in the shadows but ready to strike if needed. It was those serene, quiet days she remembered best and beside the golden haired child that she felt most at peace. Of course, the good times never lasted.

Her employers had many enemies. She knew that well. There were numerous assassin and kidnapping attempts on their son already in the short span of time she was employed. Most of these assassins and kidnappers were easy to dispatch; a flick of her wrist would be enough to send knives shooting through the air and piecing the organs of the intruders. Occasionally, there would be a few higher skilled ones lurking through the mansion grounds. For the more troublesome ones, she would discreetly lead them away from the young master, where any sound of fighting would be drowned behind concrete walls. She had never once failed her mission and always remained loyal. And with time, she began seeing the mansion as home and her clients as family.

The bullet to her chest was unexpected and hurted much more than the physical pain of the metal ripping through skin and tissue. The shock of betrayal seeping through her veins was what really burned and had her twitching in anguish. Lying in a growing pool of her own blood, she looked with muted horror at the grinning face of her young master. He was older now, and his face lost the adorable chubbiness he had as a kid. Now, with a grin stretched over taut skin and crazed eyes lighting up at her agony, she could only see a monster where an angel once was.

oOo

Her new name was Nakahara Touka. It felt foreign to her when she first pronounced those six syllables. But what was even more foreign to her was her new body. It was much more fragile than her previous one, and so much more tinier too. The heavy layers of kimono wrapped around her frail form seemed to swallow her.

She frowned slightly as she pressed her fingers against the cool surface of the mirror, over where the reflection of her face was located. It was weird not seeing her old appearance gazing back at her. Instead, there was a girl barely fifteen of age on the other side of the glass. Her long hair was tangled due to the lack of brushing, and Touka felt the urge to chop away the annoying locks. They were much too long to be practical. In a fight, an enemy could easily grab her hair and render her powerless. Hell, even mundane tasks such as cleaning would be troublesome if she had to worry about not tripping over her own locks.

Slowly, the girl dragged her finger away from the glass. There was nothing she could do now, and she wasn't talking about her hair. She was more concerned over this whole life after death situation. Her first question had been 'how is this even possible'? She was an atheist and never believed in the human constructed deities and religions, but even she had no scientific explanation for this occurrence. Her second question was 'what would she do now'? After all, she was in a foreign place and in a different time period. The sliding, wooden doors, the fine porcelain tea cups, and the wide sleeved dresses made it glaringly obvious that she was not in Europe anymore, and the lack of any electronic devices and her family's dependency on oil-lit lamps told her that she might have traveled a hundred or so years to the past.

But the most urgent thing on her mind was that she had no possible way to return.

 _(Return to what, a voice sneered in her head, what is there to return to?)_

Her musings were cut short when she heard two sharp taps on the panels of her doors before the wooden plates slid open. Her elder sister, Himawari, soundlessly glided in, inky hair trailing and abyssal eyes scanning the room before resting on her. Touka - her name is Touka now, and nothing else - bowed respectfully.

"Onee-sama," she greeted, the Japanese syllables flowing out of her mouth even though she had never learnt the language in her past life. It seemed like she not only took over the body, but also the memories."What has brought you here?"

From her body's memories, she knew that her host didn't have a good relationship with her sister. There was a mutual dislike between the sisters, and even if it didn't evolved into hatred, the two maintained a certain coldness toward each other. Even now, the atmosphere was slightly strained as her sister peered at her with unblinking eyes.

"Ah, mother told me to fetch you for morning tea," Himawari informed, lips tilting into a polite smile that held no warmth. "That is, if you are well enough. Don't push yourself if you aren't."

Touka nodded slightly, "I feel fine. You needn't worry, onee-sama. Tell mother I will join her soon."

"Of course, dearest sister. I'm glad your health is improving. However," the older sibling paused, "If I were you, I wouldn't step out of the confines of this manor anytime soon. There… has been rumors that I fear will be unbeneficial to you."

By rumors, Touka was certain that her sister meant the talk around town of her being demon-possessed. A drowned child was the perfect shell for demons and evil spirits, according to the village's legends. They weren't too far from the truth actually, Touka thought, more amused than concerned.

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind."

With a dip of her head, Touka watched her sister exit and released a breath when the doors slide shut. For now, she would play the role of an obedient child in her new household.

oOo

A concrete wall, almost four meters in height and accented with spikes on top, stretched around the manor. Touka idly traced her hand against the rough surface of the wall during one of her evening strolls in her mother's garden, wondering how sturdy the material is.

A month had already past since she got this body, and Touka could not help but feel a little unsettled. Her new life was too peaceful. She had fallen in a routine where she would wake up at dawn, have breakfast with her mother and Himawari, take private lessons on proper etiquettes and tea making, have lunch, resume lessons, have dinner, and then retreat to her room for the rest of the day. It grated at her nerves. It was too quiet and still, like the calm before a storm.

The new musician her mother (who had recently taken a liking towards flute playing) hired made her uneasy. The boy, around her age, was called Asari and he sported the traditional Japanese garments and an excessively tall hat. He had a friendly demeanor, all smiles even during that one time when Himawari glared him for breaking an expensive vase. However, years of military training made Touka aware of how sharp his eyes were and how he always carried a hidden knife in the sleeves of his robes.

Touka avoided him. He was danger and she didn't want to get involved in anything life threatening this soon.

oOo

Pain. Bone breaking pain.

She was bleeding heavily from the side of her head from where a man had rammed his fist on. The impact left her feeling lightheaded and woozy, and she knew that if she lost anymore blood, she run into the risk of going into hypovolemic shock.

Touka grunted in pain through the gag stuffed in her mouth when she was unceremoniously dumped on the floor. The ropes binding her hands dug into her skin and made it difficult for her to shift to a more comfortable position.

"It this the demon?"

"Yes, just look at its eyes. No humans have eyes like that."

A wave of whispers broke through the crowd. Touka squinted through the bright light of the torches each villager held, noting the fear and hatred pasted on the many faces. She groaned pitifully as her head throbbed with pain.

Touka would've never imagined that she would end up in a situation like this. The monotonous routine must have gotten to her. Her abilities to sense danger deteriorated over time from the lack of use. A few villagers had snuck into her room while she was asleep and unaware, tied her up, and knocked her out when she began screaming for help.

How did it this happen?

She made sure that she was safe inside the confines of the manor. The walls were strong enough to withstand anything the townspeople can throw at it and the spike accenting it sharp enough to prevent anyone from climbing over. Yet, she was knocked unconscious and kidnapped.

"Thank god for the other Nakahara girl," a woman said to the person beside her. "Bless that girl. It was thanks to her that we got our hands on the demon."

"That's right, what a nice girl. She even unlocked the gates for us," someone replied.

Her breath hitched. So it was Himawari that threw her to the wolves. While she knew her relationship with her sister was shaky, she never thought that it would reach a point where Himawari would wish for her death. Her expression fell when memories of the barrel of a gun and a crazed smile flashed through her mind. The same feeling of betrayal she had in the dying moments of her previous life numbed her current body.

"Let's burn the demon!" one of the villagers shouted. "Burn the demon and rid us of the misfortune it brought!"

"Burn the demon! Burn the demon!" the crowd chanted in agreement as she felt hands heaved her onto a platform and tied her to a stake.

Touka kicked and twisted, attempting to free herself from the grasp of the merciless hands but she knew that her body was too weak to fight. Someone harshly removed the cloth in her mouth.

"Any last words, demon?"

The wheels in her brains _spun_ , "Yes, what makes you think you think fire can kill me?"

If she could make the town believe that their methods were ineffective, then there was an off chance that she could save herself. The trick was to convince them that they were putting their life and their family at risk if they infuriated her, therefore making them hesitant to act. Threatening them would do.

She sneered, "The worst you can do is to destroy the body of this human girl. But did you know? I can easily possess another body."

The lady nearest to her shrieked in fright when she turned towards her, hissing. Touka noted the bulge in her stomach and smirked.

"How about I target your baby? If you kill this body, I might as well consume your child's soul and take its place in your womb. Or," She crackled, directing her attention to the man who rudely manhandled her before. "What about your wife?" She nodded to the woman gripping his arm, "Pretty lass she is. I wouldn't mind possessing her. How would you like a demon for a wife?"

The man growled at her and she snarled back. But her work was done here as she surveyed the crowd. Unease and fear rippled through the mass. Her plan was working.

She smiled, "I can ruin all of your lives, but I am forgiving. If you provide a sacrifice worthy enough for me before the next full moon, I promise to never harm this village and forget what happened tonight."

The murmuring started again before an elderly man stepped forward.

"Oh evil spirit, as long as you leave this village alone, we will do as you wish. Tell us, what do you want?"

Touka pondered for a moment. She could easily name some livestock and be over with it, but that didn't sound satisfying for her. Something in her twisted with glee at the prospect of revenge.

"I have always hated the oldest daughter of the Nakahara family. Spill her blood for me and I will consider our deal fulfilled."

The elder nodded, "As you wish."

oOo

Touka slowly limped her way further into the woods, in the opposite direction of the manor. After her declaration of wanting Himawari dead, the villagers began storming towards the mansion, intended to capture Himawari as a sacrifice. The flames licking the night sky from the roof of one of the houses provided her enough light to see where she was going and told her that the town had successfully broken into the manor.

She gave a shaky laugh. It felt good to take revenge but as the adrenaline wore away, she realized that she had no next step on what she would do and where she would go. She had no money on her, and while most of the wounds on her body had scrapped over, she was in no state to travel long distances. Another pressing thought was that the smell of her blood might lure unwelcome predators.

Her legs gave out after a few more minutes of limbing. She might as well die here. There was no place for her to go, and even if the mansion wasn't burning to the ground, she had no desire to return. Being locked behind the concrete walls and pretending to be someone else was wearing down her mind. Now that she thought of it, even if the villagers hadn't kidnapped her from the house, she would've tried to escape outside sooner or later.

Touka laid on the damp, musty-smelling floor and had no incentive to get back up. She could feel the roots of ancient trees digging into her back and hear the soft chittering of crickets. A thin layer of cloud blocked the moon and the stars, only allowing a small trickle of light to shine through the veil. This wouldn't be the worst place to die, she decided as her eyes began to drift shut from her exhaustion.

"Touka-chan?"

Her eyes snapped open almost as fast as her body jerked up in shock. Asari Ugetsu stood in front of her, his kimono blackened by ashes but he appeared otherwise unscathed. She noticed that his ridiculous hat was missing and he looked as surprised as she was.

"Asari…?" she murmured as if in a trance before she snapped out of her stupor. "I didn't expect you to be able to escape from the fire."

"Yeah, I guess I did." Then the expression on his face crumpled. "I'm sorry, Touka-chan. B-but I can't say the same for your family. Your mother, the servants - they were all caught in the blaze."

Touka willed her eyes to water and she looked away in feigned sadness. If the Asari boy was here, she might as well make use of him, danger or not.

"I-I ran out as soon as I heard the screaming. I managed to escape by crawling through a hole in the eastern wall. But m-mom and Himawari-" she buried her face in her hands and faked a sob, hoping that the boy would not see through her lie. "The bad men… they were after me. I am the reason that my family is dead-"

Warm arms engulfed her and she let Asari pulled her into an embrace. Head resting on the crook of Asari's neck, she secretly smiled.

"It is not your fault, Touka-chan. None of us knew this would happen, so don't blame yourself."

Touka sniffled in his arms before he pulled both of them up from the ground. He smiled charming at her and brushed away a teardrop from her cheeks. "Let's go."

"Go?" she echoed. "Go where?"

"I have friends in a foreign country. If you stay here, the villagers will try to kill you again. Come with me overseas, Touka-chan."

Inside, Touka laughed with triumph and pleasure. However, there was still one more step to take.

She threw her arms around the startled boy and kissed him full-on the lips.

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 **A/N: Yes, I decided to do a rewrite for this fanfic after I read through my old work and found the story unsatisfying. The scenes were all messed up (I think they still are in this chapter tbh) and I didn't have a clue where the plot was going. I did some planning over my break and managed to cough up something that resembled a plot. So, here I present you a revised version of 'Center of the Field'.**

 **Please leave a review before you leave. It means a lot to me, thank you. :)**

 **(on a side note, if you like to beta this story, i'll appreciate all the help i can get)**


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